Wireless medium access control protocol with micro-scheduling
OwnerJohn Howard, Charles Brabenacinventors
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Abstract
A micro-scheduling capability provides networks with the capability of dynamically managing time slots. Such time slots may be contained within a superframe that begins with a beacon transmitted by a node. One or more particular time slots are designated as micro-scheduled time allocations, the composition of which may be dynamically modified during the micro-scheduled time allocation.
Claims43
A method comprising:
- communicating data among a plurality of nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe;
- and
- establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes one or more channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.
A medium access protocol for a wireless network, comprising:
- a superframe to divide time into discrete segments, wherein the superframe has an initial portion comprising a beacon transmitted by a node of the network;
- wherein the superframe includes a plurality of time allocations for use by designated nodes in communicating data;
- wherein the time allocations are identified by information contained in the beacon;
- wherein one or more selected time allocations may be designated as a micro-scheduled time allocation and identified as such in the beacon, each micro-scheduled time allocation including a micro-scheduled command, which is transmitted by a node designated to be a micro-scheduling controller for the corresponding micro-scheduled time allocation;
- wherein the micro-scheduled command describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command within the same micro-scheduled time allocation;
- and
- wherein a micro-scheduled time allocation is modified by the micro-scheduling controller during the micro-scheduled time allocation.
An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated information, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:
- communicating data among a plurality of nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe;
- and
- establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.
An integrated circuit comprising at least one processor to access a a processor-accessible medium having associated information, wherein the information, when accessed, results in the at least one processor performing:
- communicating data among a plurality of nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe;
- and
- establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.
A system comprising:
- a bus coupling elements of the system;
- at least one processor coupled to the bus;
- a display coupled to the bus;
- a memory coupled to the bus to store instructions, the at least one processor to execute instructions comprising the operations of:
- communicating data between selected nodes in a wireless network during one or more time slots within a superframe;
- and
- establishing one or more selected time slots as micro-scheduled time allocations, each micro-scheduled time allocation comprising a micro-scheduled command that describes micro-scheduled channel time allocations associated with the micro-scheduled command.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.